George Bernard Shaw

“ So when father got into a passion about my box not being found instantly, and went off to look for it, leaving me by myself, the idea of escaping and going to the agent at once occurred to me. I made up my mind and unmade it twenty times in every second. I should not have hesitated a moment if I had had my purse but as it was, I had only my ring;, so that I should have had to stop the cab at the nearest pawnbrokers and I was ashamed to go into such a place—although we sometimes used to send Mrs. Wilkina there, without letting father know, in the Gower Street days. ”

“ And you stopped me in the act of pawning her ring, which I was going to do because I thought I would rather have a beefsteak. But you are adamant. You never change your mind. You have a soul above fate and necessity! Ha! ha!"
"Magdalen," said Mary, turning to her friend, who had waiting for the end of the conversation: "I think we had better go." Mary was crimson with suppressed resentment; and Magdalen, not displeased to see it, advanced to bid Jack farewell in her most attractive manner. ”

“ He certainly ought to. Your ring is worth a great deal more than four pounds."
"He might not wish to give it up to my father, as it was mine. If he wishes to keep it he is welcome. I am sure he deserves it. Mind: he refused it after giving me the money."
"If you had a nose like mine, and wore a pince-nez, I doubt whether you would have found him so generous. I believe he fell in love with you."
"Nonsense. Who ever knew a man to sacrifice all his money—all he had in the world, perhaps—for the sake of love? I know what men are too well. Besides, he was quite rude to me once in the carriage." ”

“ He is as strong as a bull, and cares for nothing nor nobody but himself."
"What is he?" said Magdalen. "His name is Jack, isn't it?"
"Yes; and a fit name it is for him. He came here first, to my sorrow, last December, and took the garret for half-a-crown a week. He had a portmanteau then and some little money; and he was quiet enough for almost a month. But he kept very much to himself except for letting poor little Rosie play about his room, and teaching her little songs. You can't think what a queer child she is, Miss Sutherland. ”

“ Miss Madge thought you hadn't counted it. Little did she know you."
"She knew me better than you, you sordid hag. I counted my money that morning—four pounds nine and sevenpence. I gave the railway clerk ten shillings; he gave me five back—that left four pounds four and sevenpence. I arrived here with sixpence in my pocket; and from that I knew that I gave her four, four, and a penny. That reminds me that you sat there and let Miss Sutherland go away without making me ask her to send on my portmanteau, now that I have money to pay the carriage. You're very stupid." ”

“ Mary looked at her friend for a while. Then she said, "Madge: you are quite mad. There is not a doubt of it: that episode of the ring settles the question finally. I suppose you regard this bedlamite adventure as the most simple and natural thing in the world."
"When I have my mind made up to do something, it seems the most natural thing in the world to go and do it. I hope you are not going to lecture me for adopting a profession, after all your rhapsodies about high art and so forth."
"But opera bouffe is not high art, Madge. ”

“ Mary, did you ever ride in an omnibus?"
"No. But I should not be in the least ashamed to do so if I had occasion."
"How would you like to have to make five pounds worth of clothes last you for two years?"
"I should not like that."
"Lots of people have to do it. We had, when we lived in Gower Street. Father wrote for the papers; and we never had any money, and were always in debt. But we went to the theatres—with orders, of course—much oftener than we do now; and we either walked home or took our carriage, the omnibus. ”

“ Wilkins—Polly's other sister and my late chaperon— thinks he would give me some cheap lessons. And I must have them very cheap, or else go without; for father will hardly trust me with a shilling now. He has never even given me back my purse I have only the remainder of the man's money, and ten pounds that I had laid up."
"And are you going toke a lesson today?"
"No, no. I only want to see the man and ask his terms. If I try to go alone, I shall be watched and suspected. With you I shall be safe: they regard you as a monument of good sense and propriety. ”

“ One of them was a man named Tarleton, who made money as a theatrical agent and lost it as a manager alternately."
"And you fell in love with him, of course," said Mary.
"Bosh! Fell in love with old Tommy Tarleton! This is not a romance, but a prosaic Gower Street narrative. I never thought about him after we came here until a month ago, when I saw that he was taking a company to Windsor. I always wanted to go on the stage, because nowadays a woman must be either an actress or nothing. So I wrote to him for an engagement, and sent him my photograph."
"Oh, Madge!" ”

“ He took my purse, which I was foolish enough to leave within his reach whilst I was putting on my bonnet, and so left me without a farthing, helplessly dependent on him. He would not give it me back; and to revenge myself I became very uncivil to him; and then he forbade me to speak. I took him at his word, and made him still madder by taking no notice of the homilies on duty and respectability which he poured forth as we drove to the train."
"Yes: I can quite imagine that. And so you came home and returned to the ways of well conducted girls." ”

“ "There are some men who are considered quite ugly, but who are more remarkable than pretty people. You often see that in artists." ”

“ I know all that stuff of Adrian's by heart. If you don't like your own pictures, you may depend upon it no one else will. I am going to be an actress because I think I can act. You are going to be a painter because you think you can't paint. So there's an end of that. Would you mind coming over to Polly's with me?"
"Who is Polly?"
"Our old landlady's sister—my accomplice—the woman who keeps the lodging house in Church Street, Mrs Simpson." ”

“ After all, there is no reason why you should not do something better than be a fine lady. Your appearance is good: all the rest can be acquired—except a genius for tomfoolery, which you must take your chance of. The public want actresses, because they think all actresses bad. They don't want music or poetry because they know that both are good. ”

“ There is a woman who keeps a lodging house in Church Street here, who is a sister of the landlady at Gower Street, and knows all about us. She has a second sister whose daughter is a ballet girl, and who is used to theatres. I ran away to Church Street—five minutes' walk; told Polly what I had done; and made her send for Mrs Wilkins, the other sister, whom I carried off to Windsor as chaperon that evening. ”

“ Jack: some people at Windsor, friends of mine, have been asking about you. I think, if you could come down once a week, I could get a music class together for you."
"No doubt," he said. his angry look returning. "They will take lessons because you ask them to be charitable to your discarded tutor. Why did you discard him if you think him fit to teach your friends?"
"Not at all. The project was mentioned last season, before I knew you. It is simply that we wish to take lessons. If you do not get the class somebody else will. It is very difficult to avoid offending you, Mr Jack." ”

“ So actors and actresses thrive, as I hope you will; and poets and composers starve, as I do. When do you wish to begin?"
It was soon arranged that Magdalen should take lessons in Mrs Simpson's sitting room, and in her presence, every second weekday, and that she should pay Mr Jack for them at the rate of three guineas a dozen. The first was to take place on the next day but one. Then the two ladies rose to go. But Magdalen first drew Mrs Simpson aside to pay her the money which Jack had lent her; so that he was left near the door with Mary, who had only spoken once since he entered the room. ”

“ They are very nice people—well connected; and Mr. Brailsford is a clever man. But don't go making a companion of Madge."
"I shall not have the opportunity, I am sorry to say. Poor Madge! Nobody has a good word for her."
Mr. Sutherland muttered a string t>f uncomplimentary epithets; but Mary went out without heeding him. At Kensington Palace Gardens she found Magdalen Brailsford alone.
"They are all out," said Magdalen when Mary had done kissing her. "They are visiting, or shopping, or doing something else equally intellectual.I am supposed to be in disgrace ”